Fate
by 9peggy
Summary: It was unusual that they should meet more than once. And it was under the most awkward of circumstances too. Fate is cruel. RAMYR, AU, one-shot.


Worst. Vacation. _Ever._

It was the only sentence that ran through Miyuki's head as she stared out her window, watching the snowy terrain drift past as the train advanced speed. She didn't like snow. She didn't like feeling cold. And she defiantly didn't like skiing.

Why was she going on this trip again?

Oh yeah. Her _brother_. Spork just didn't take no for an answer, no matter how specific Miyuki was that she did _not_ want to go with him to a ski resort. With him _and_ Tenn. Honestly, Tenn was one of her best friends, and she loved her to death, but not when she was rubbing her stupid love-book in her face 24/7. Tenn had gotten a boyfriend a few weeks ago, and she seemed determined to get one for Miyuki too. She didn't want her 'feeling lonely' or 'feeling left out' or even 'getting jealous'.

Did Miyuki even_ say_ she wanted a boyfriend? Nope. She really doesn't. But Tenn won't believe her. Miyuki looked at the book in her lap that Tenn had _so_ kindly given to her. More like forced her to have it…

**How to Get a Boyfriend in Four Easy Steps**

Miyuki rolled her eyes at the useless object. It was a waste of time to even read this thing. And it was short and to the point too. She literally already had all its contents memorized.

_Step 1: Meet Your Guy_

_Wow, _Miyuki thought, _that sounds _easy! _Not . . ._

_Step 2: Get on a Name-to-Know Basis_

The only step that was somewhat accessible.

_Step 3: Go on a Date_

And the final . . .

_Step 4: End it With a Kiss!_

Miyuki stuffed the book back into her bag. _Who_ believes this junk?

"Aw, feeling down because you don't have a date, sis?"

Miyuki grumbled, looking up at her brother leaning against the doorframe. She had forgotten that Tenn had gone to the bathroom. If she was here, then Spork probably wouldn't be teasing her.

But, he never wasted an opportunity to rile up his little sister.

"I don't see that you have one either." She snapped. "Can't you just leave me alone for five seconds?"

"Nah." Spork said, swiftly reaching into her bag and pulling out the book before Miyuki could stop him. "Not when my sister needs help with her love life!"

Miyuki glared. "I don't even _want_ a love life."

"Your mouth says no, but your eyes say yes." Spork started backing towards the doorway. "Don't worry, I have a solution. I'll take this and shove it in every low-standard looking guy's face, tell them my pretty sis needs a beau, and they'll most likely take pity on you. Then, woopty-doo, you're not lonely any more!"

Miyuki sprang up from her seat, staring intently at him. "You wouldn't."

Spork arched an eye brow. "Wouldn't I?"

"Spork . . ." Miyuki said in a stern tone, taking a few steps towards him, "I'm warning you . . ."

Spork laughed loudly, holding up the book out of reach from Miyuki, who was trying to make a jump for it. "Is that a _threat?"_

Miyuki's eyes narrowed. "Maybe it is. I'm serious Spork,_ don't_. Hand it over."

"Okay, fine." Spork made a movement to hand over the book, but at the last second he swiped it away, making Miyuki trip.

"But you'll have to catch me first!"

Miyuki rolled her eyes at her brother's child-like behavior, scrambling up as Spork ran down the hallway of the train, knocking aside several bystanders as he did.

"Spork, get back here!" She yelled, taking pursuit in the chase. She ran after him, making quick twists and turns down each hallway, never loosing sight of his figure through the small crowd. They would most likely get in trouble for this.

"A-ha! Got it!" Miyuki shouted triumphantly as she zoomed past him, grabbing the book as she did. She heard him growl behind her, speeding up, and making a reach for her jacket. Miyuki dashed down the corridor, feverishly looking for their room.

"Stop being so immature!" She called to him behind her shoulder, breathing heavily.

He laughed at her again. "_I'm_ being immature? _You're_ the one that's running away!"

Miyuki skidded to a halt as she suddenly approached a dead end. She whipped around, her back to the wall, facing Spork who was grinning at her wickedly.

"Give up?"

An old sibling rivalry sparked between the two. Miyuki grinned herself, determination gleaming in her eyes. She clutched at her book, bending back on her knees like a cat ready to pounce.

"Never."

Miyuki bolted forward, bowling past her brother and knocking him to the floor. She sprinted down the hall, and she didn't stop until she approached a corner where she hid behind. She pressed her back against it, panting as she waited for her brother to catch up. She was going to win this round . . .

Then she finally heard it. The sound of footsteps, approaching fast. She held tightly onto her book, tensing up and getting ready to strike. When she mentally calculated the right moment, she jumped out from her hiding place, giving a strong swing . . .

. . . And completely smacked it in the face of a random stranger.

She dropped the book in shock, a gasp escaping her lips at the same time a surprised shout erupted from the guy as he fell to the floor, holding his face painfully. He barley had time to flicker his eyes open to look at the attacker before Miyuki turned heel and dashed away as fast as she could. This time, she really didn't stop until she caught sight of her room. She darted in, slamming the door behind her, and leaning against it, heaving for breath.

Tenn jolted upright from her phone that she had previously been fixed on. "What happened?" She asked.

"N – nothing." Miyuki answered shortly, taking her seat. Tenn shrugged, going back to her flurry of texting. A relieved sigh quietly came from Miyuki.

She _really_ hoped she never saw that guy again.

But fate worked in funny ways.

* * *

><p>Miyuki limped into the hospital wing, wincing in pain the whole way with Tenn supporting her as a temporary crutch. <em>This<em> is why she didn't want to go skiing. She wasn't the most graceful person . . .

It was only her first lesson, and Miyuki had already injured herself. But with the freezing wind whipping in her face, the horrible balance she had on her skis, and not to mention, the people watching her struggle. . .well, how was she supposed to have seen that rock?

"Stay here, Miyuki." Tenn commanded, helping her wounded friend onto a nearby bed. "I'll go get the nurse."

As she skirted away, Miyuki looked around the empty room. It was the first actual warm place in this God forsaken resort. She sat up against her pillow, rubbing her throbbing ankle. It had swelled well out of its normal zone, and it had turned a beat red color mixed into her green skin.

So far, this was _not_ a great vacation.

"Wow, how'd you manage to get _that?"_

Miyuki jumped at the newcomer's words, craning her neck upwards to see a ruby eyed male Irken standing in the doorway, a slab of meat covering his right eye.

"O-oh! I didn't see you there . . ." She watched the Irken saunter over to the bed next to her, grunting a little as he sat down. He gestured towards her leg.

"Oh, um," Miyuki cleared her throat, "skiing accident."

As he nodded understandingly, Miyuki narrowed her blue eyes, examining him carefully. He looked so _familiar_. Surely she's seen him before? But no, she's never even_ been_ to this resort, and even then, she hasn't met anyone yet. But it's like she's seen him _somewhere_. Could he . . .?

Miyuki audibly gulped. _Oh no . . ._

"Are . . . are you-" Miyuki gasped, recognition dawning on her face. "You . . . you're . . ."

He turned to face her, his lips forming a zipper like smile.

". . . The guy you slugged with that book?" He finished, his grin growing. "Yep."

A shade of red suddenly took over what felt like every inch of her face, and she felt her cheeks grow hot.

"I am _so_ sorry . . . I swear, I thought you were someone else!"

The guy only laughed, adjusting the steak on his eye. "Well then,_ you_ must have been mad. I would say I'm glad I'm not that person, but I suppose I would've taken the beating either way . . ."

Miyuki played with her antenna, her eyes shifting around. "I'm _really_, really sorry! Honestly, I didn't think I hit you that hard! I – I promise, I don't go around hitting random people with books . . ."

The guy chuckled. "It's fine. It'll heal. Why were you so mad at that person, anyways?"

Miyuki rolled her eyes irritably. "They were being an idiot."

This time she laughed with the guy. He kept smiling, leaning forward ever so slightly.

"So . . . can I get your name, madam?"

Miyuki almost giggled. "I'm Miyu –"

"Miyuki!"

Their two heads swiveled around to see Tenn standing in the doorway, a nurse at her side. She walked over to her, helping her get off the bed.

"C'mon, the nurse needs to check that foot of yours." She put her arm around Miyuki, hauling her out of the room. In the last second out the doorway, Miyuki tried to turn around, her eyes glued to the stranger who still had that piece of meat stuck to his face.

"Hey, wait! I never got your name!" She called. He looked up, still smiling.

"It's Red."

* * *

><p><em>Stop thinking about him! You don't even know him . . .<em>

That was what her mind was telling Miyuki as she lay there in bed, staring up at the ceiling. But her _feelings_ refused to listen.

Right now, the only things Miyuki wanted to do was go to sleep, and give her hurting ankle time to heal. But she couldn't get the image of that crooked smile out of her head. It was like it was implanted there, never to be removed. It gave her a flip flop feeling in her squeedily spooch that she wanted to ignore.

She was being foolish. She just _met_ this guy. She couldn't possibly be having feelings for him. Then again . . . Tenn mentioned something about 'love at first sight' awhile back . . .

Aggravated, Miyuki threw her blankets off of her, her feet meeting the cold floor as she reached for her jacket. Maybe a walk around the hotel would make her tired, and _then_ she could get some sleep.

But as she walked down the hallway and through the elevator, thoughts about the red eyed Irken invaded her thoughts. His smile was so radiant . . . she wondered if she'd ever see him again. She hoped his eye didn't hurt _too _badly . . .

Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she found herself in the hotel eating quarters. She shuffled over to the coffee maker, fixing her a cup, and sitting down at one of the tables. She looked out the window, watching the snowflakes floating down from the night sky, sticking to the windows. She took a sip of her coffee, scuffling her feet against the floor.

_I might as well stop thinking about him. Besides . . . that was defiantly the last I'll ever see of him. The odds of meeting again are pretty small . . ._

"Y'know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were following me around."

Miyuki jolted in her seat so hard she nearly spilled her coffee on herself. She'd been so caught up in her thoughts she didn't even hear the arrival of the newcomer. But that wasn't what startled her so much. It was hearing the unmistakable _voice_ that caught her off guard.

Leave it to _her_ luck that she would beat those certain odds . . .

She veered around in her chair, her blue eyes meeting Red's. He was staring at her with that crooked smile, a mug of coffee in his hands.

Miyuki's eyes followed him carefully as he lazily strolled over. "What are . . . um, well, you're up awfully late."

He chuckled, taking a seat next to her. "I could ask you the same thing. My room mate was snoring a little loudly, so I came down here for a warm drink. Why are _you_ down here?"

"Couldn't sleep." She answered curtly, staring into her cup and hoping deeply he didn't ask _why_.

Red only sipped at his coffee. "Y'know, our meeting was a bit short-lived. I never got to ask why you were here."

Miyuki shrugged. "Vacation."

Red studied her with a curious expression. "You don't like it here, do you?"

"No . . . how'd you know?"

Red took another sip of his drink. "You just always seem to have this displeased look on your face. I figured it was because you didn't really like staying here. It's kind of sad; I bet your smile looks nice."

Miyuki blinked in surprise. Was he _flirting_ with her? She'd never been one for cute, perky talk like that. Every time Tenn was in the room with her boyfriend, she would always bolt out of there as quickly as possible.

But, no. He didn't have a flamboyant edge to him. He was just being good natured.

"Anyways," Red continued when she didn't answer, "in case you were wondering, I come here every year."

Miyuki nodded, taking a drink. "So, um, how's your eye?"

Red smiled, his hand traveling up to touch his wounded eye lightly. "It's getting better. How's your ankle?"

"Healing." Miyuki answered. Her statement was followed by several minutes of awkward silence. What else was there to say? Miyuki was just about to claim to go to bed, when Red asked a question that startled her so much, she nearly fell off her chair.

"Want to go on a carriage ride tomorrow?"

Miyuki stared at him for several seconds. The question was exceedingly random. She wasn't sure how to answer it.

"A . . . a carriage ride?"

Red nodded. "With me. Around seven in the morning."

"W . . . why?" Miyuki stammered.

Red shrugged, blowing on his coffee. "I dunno. I'm not doing anything tomorrow, and I don't think you'll be skiing anytime soon, so I figured it could be . . . y'know, fun."

Miyuki tapped on her mug, thoughts racing through her mind. She just met the guy, and here he was asking her on a date?

_No, no, it's not a date. It's just a fun . . . activity. Not a date. So it's okay._

"Um, o – okay. Sounds like fun . . ." Miyuki answered unsurely.

Red flashed a smile, standing up. "Great. Meet you outside the hotel at seven, then?"

"S – sure."

"Cool." And with that, he simply just walked off, leaving Miyuki to her scrambling thoughts.

What on _Irk_ had she just _done?_

* * *

><p>"Wait, Miyuki!" Tenn called after her friend in a vain attempt. "Just let me put a few extra touch ups on your antenna – "<p>

"Tenn, it's _fine_. Good-bye now." Miyuki said for the umpteenth time, slamming the door behind her. She should have known not to tell her about her 'date'. Before she had even finished her story, Tenn had practically exploded with pure delight, sprouting excited comments about how her best friend had finally found 'true love'.

Miyuki had tried to dress relatively nice, wearing a grey, leather jacket over a blue sweater, black pants and boots, and a blue scarf. Her stomach was fluttering the whole way down the elevator, and she walked out of the hotel to see Red already there, a carriage with two horses tied to it standing next to him.

So he _was_ serious.

"Hey there." He greeted as she gingerly made her way across the snow covered ground over to him. He was dressed in a simple red and black striped long sleeved shirt, with blue jeans and a black over coat.

He gestured towards the carriage. "M'lady?" He said, offering a hand to her. Miyuki accepted it, smiling, and he helped her aboard. He skidded to the other side, nearly slipping on the ice once, and climbing in next to her. The coachman, who had a curly mustache and a top hat on, turned around from his seat to look at them.

"Where to, sir?"

Miyuki could have sworn she saw him briefly grin slyly at her before he answered.

"Anywhere."

* * *

><p>Miyuki blinked as a third fragile snowflake drifted onto her eyelashes for a second before it melted. She shivered, the cold breeze drawing over her antenna and face. The carriage occasionally jostled slightly as she listened to the horses' hooves click against the icy forest ground. The sun peeked out from the snow covered pine trees, bathing the forest in its light. The birds chirped cheerfully, and if Miyuki listened carefully, she could hear the faint sound of a river in the distance.<p>

The scene would have been so charming if the situation wasn't so awkward.

It had been fifteen minutes, and neither one of them had said a word. Or at least, they haven't had a descent conversation. Red had attempted to talk one out of Miyuki, but she was just so shy that he eventually gave up in the end. Now she wanted more than anything to be back in her hotel room just to escape this unbearable silence.

_Say something! _She urged herself, her eyes glancing at his bored expression. _You're being rude. He offered you a nice afternoon with him, even after you blackened his eye, and you repay him with silence. Just say _something.

She cleared her throat. "So . . . it's nice outside today, isn't it?"

_You decide to talk about the weather . . . brilliant._

Red glimpsed at her. "Yeah, I suppose it is. Do you like it because it's warm?"

Miyuki stared down at her hands, neatly folded in her lap. "Yes. I prefer warm things to cold."

"Why's that?"

"Oh, I don't know . . . I guess because warmth is secure."

Red leaned back in his seat. "You like to be secure?"

"I like to be sure of myself. I don't like to doubt in things."

Red tilted his head a little, observing her. Miyuki squirmed under his gaze. "Do . . . do _you_ like the cold?"

"I don't _hate _it, but I'm not in love with it either."

"Then why come _here?_" Miyuki asked curiously, adjusting her gloves.

Red shrugged. "Something to do, I guess. My life can be pretty boring. I take chances often just to see _something_ happen." He flashed a grin. "That's one of the reasons I asked you to join me today."

Miyuki suddenly became very interested in her gloves, avoiding his gaze. "One of the reasons?"

Red's hand went up to scratch the back of his head. "Yeah. You seemed like you would be fun to hang around."

Miyuki momentarily fixed her already perfect antennae, trying to hide her blush, and thinking of a way to change the subject. "Um . . . but why come _here_ of all places? I mean, besides skiing, there's practically _nothing_ to do."

Red frowned bluntly, but it quickly switched back to a genuine smile. "There are lots of things to do. Skiing is just _one_ thing. You can also have snowball fights, make snowmen, and there's hot chocolate. Have you ever had hot chocolate here?"

Miyuki shook her head. "I haven't had hot chocolate here or anywhere else."

"What?" Red spluttered, looking at her doubtfully. "Never had hot chocolate? Who the . . . Coachman! Take us to the coffee shop!"

The coachman grunted in response, steering the horses onto a different path while Miyuki just blinked in bewilderment.

"N – no, you don't have to do that!" She said hastily, tugging on her scarf.

Red only gave her a lopsided smirk. "You're right, I don't _have _to. But I _want_ to."

* * *

><p>Miyuki stared at the drink that was now placed in her hands, the faint steam rising up to warm her face as she watched the creamy liquids churn around with each stir of her spoon. The foamy substance mixed with the chocolate brown, frequently breaking apart and making odd swirling shapes before morphing together again. She held her cup firmly, being carful not to spill it as the coachman led the horses away from the coffee shop. Red, already draining his cup halfway, surveyed her from his seat.<p>

"Aren't you going to try it?"

Miyuki paused. She wasn't sure. She didn't want to be rude, because this was a kind gesture, but she'd never really liked sweet foods. She mostly avoided junky food, though she would snack on a bag of mint chocolates if she was feeling particularly down about something. Red seemed to be the opposite, as he had gotten not only hot chocolate, but also several other treats at the shop.

_We're so different . . ._

But politeness won over caution. Aware that it was hot, she blew on the surface of the drink, its fumes rushing about from the sudden breath. She placed the cup to her lips, tilting it ever so slightly as to get a small taste.

Then she took another taste. And then another and another until the cup was empty. Red was right. This _was_ good. The sweet, warm beverage filled her mouth, swirling around her eager taste buds and smoothly sliding down her throat as she swallowed. She'd have to trust Red more often.

"Where to next?" Miyuki asked, setting her now empty cup down on her lap.

"You'll see." Red informed her, giving a subtle smile. "You having a good time?"

Miyuki nodded, playing with a loose thread on her coat. "Yeah, it's been fun. I enjoyed the hot chocolate. Thanks."

"It was nothing. I've had fun too."

Miyuki didn't appreciate the several minutes of silence that followed that as the coachman drove on. She found that she liked talking to Red. When she tried to engage in a conversation with Spork, it usually ended in an irritated fight. And talking with Tenn these days was almost all about her boyfriend. So lately she's kept to herself. Now she had a chance to _really_ talk to someone. He made her feel comfortable around him.

It almost seemed worth it to accidently hit him in the face with that book.

* * *

><p>"We're here." The coachman said, breaking the conversation between the two. They had been so absorbed in their talk, they hadn't even noticed he had stopped the carriage.<p>

Miyuki observed her surroundings to see they were in a small park. It was on the outskirts of the town, just outside of the forest. To her left she could see a frozen pond, wilted lilies sprouting on the edges. A few yards from that she saw a picnic table covered in glistening white snow, two fire lit lamp posts beside it.

_Why'd we come here? _Miyuki thought. Not that she minded. At this point of the day, she'd go just about anywhere with Red. Their previous talk in the carriage was most memorable. And it was so simple too. They talked about their favorite and least favorite things, shared stories, and had laughs, some of them so loud, it disturbed the coachman. She smiled as she climbed out of the carriage.

"Hey, Red? What are you –?"

But she never got to finish her sentence as a flying chunk of snow hit the side of her head. She shrieked with the compact, tensing up as the cold liquid dribbled down her neck. She quickly threw it off her with her hand, hearing the sound of laughter coming from her left. She whipped around to see Red, clutching his sides and guffawing hysterically.

She glared menacingly. "Whaddya do _that_ for?" She demanded, clenching her hands into angry fists.

Red momentarily stopped laughing, wiping a tear from his eyes and grinning widely.

"Aw, c'mon Miyuki. I'm just trying to show you the other things to do here since you think it's so boring. A snow fight is one thing . . . you should have _seen_ the look on your face." And then he continued in his joyous chortles. Miyuki scowled at him, but it formed into a smirk as she stooped down to scoop up a handful of the snow, taking aim, and throwing it.

But Red had expected it. He swiftly stepped to the side, the snowball narrowly missing him as it whizzed past his head.

And so it began.

Red leaned down to shovel up an amount of the snow, cupping it in his hands and throwing them at his component. Miyuki kneeled onto the ground as well, gathering as much snow as she could and propelling them towards Red. The coachman was wise to lead his horses several yards away from the fight.

As the battle wore on, they soon found themselves laughing in their competitiveness, ducking and dodging and throwing until they grew too weary, finally stopping for breath, but even then their smiles never faded.

"So . . ." Red panted. "You give up?"

Miyuki grinned, breathing heavily herself. "How . . . about . . . we forfeit?"

Red chuckled, holding out his hand. "Okay . . . truce?"

Miyuki nodded, taking his hand tiredly. "Truce."

Red stood up with her, placing his hands behind his head. Then he looked at her as if he had realized something. "Hey . . . your ankle seems to have gotten better."

Miyuki looked down at her ankle, surprised. She'd been so caught up in the day's events, she hadn't even noticed. "Huh . . . yeah, I guess it has. Can I say the same about your eye?"

Red smiled, blinking. "Actually, now that I think about it, it does seem to have gotten better."

Miyuki's boots scuffled against the snowy ground. "Now what?"

Red grinned, excitement lighting in his eyes. "Now we build a snowman, of course."

* * *

><p>They came back to the park ten minutes later with the proper 'snowman building equipment.'<p>

"Have you ever built a snowman before?" Red asked as he scooped up a fresh ball of snow. Miyuki shook her head.

"Nope. This is the first one I've ever built."

"Then I'll make sure it's the best."

Working together, the rolled the snowball around the terrain, watching it gradually become larger, and therefore, harder to move. Eventually they got it to a preferred size, leaving a pathway behind it where a few strands of dead grass were poking underneath the thick layer of snow. They did the same thing with the next, only it was a bit smaller. They each took both sides of it, heaving it onto of the first. Finally, they rolled the last one, and set the head up on the torso.

"Okay, now hand me the coal pieces." Red said. Miyuki fished in her pocket for the said items, taking the black object and handing it to him, dusting off the stray pieces it left behind.

Red placed two of the coal lumps on the face for eyes, pushing it into the snow securely. He then took the long carrot out from his pocket, placing it in the middle for its nose while Miyuki stuck two sticks in its sides for arms.

"Help me make the mouth." Red said, taking a few smaller pieces from his pocket and handing some to Miyuki. Working from the edges, they came together making a small smile form on the snowman's face.

"And that," Red said, dusting his hands off, "is how you make a snowman."

"Some thing's missing . . ." Miyuki mused, titling her head in thought. Then she snapped her fingers in realization. "A hat! That's what it needs."

Red frowned, adjusting the arms. "We don't have a hat."

"_We_ don't . . ." Miyuki mumbled, her eyes drifting towards the coachman who was feeding his horses, his tall, black hat shining against the near-evening sunlight . . .

Red snorted in amusement. "Yeah, somehow I'm not so sure he'll appreciate us taking his hat for our snowman."

"We don't have to take it," Miyuki said. "We can just ask him. And if he says no . . . then he says no. It's his choice."

Red observed her pleading eyes. How could he say no?

"Alright. But_ you're_ asking him."

The coachman looked up from his horse as he heard the two approached him. One of them looked doubtful, and the other looked somewhat hopeful.

"Sir?" Said the girl, looking almost child-like. "Could we . . . borrow your hat?"

Confounded, the coachman's hand went up to touch the rim of his hat. They wanted to borrow it? What for?

"She wants it for our snowman." The doubtful one explained. The coachman's eyes shifted to the snowman standing behind them. They wanted his hat for a _snowman? _He had to pause. He had dragged these two around all day, having to endure their flirty teenage behaviors, their loud laughing, and their recklessly playful fights that nearly scared his horses into running off. And they expect him to give them his _hat _for a _snowman?_

What did they take him for, a butler?

But he couldn't bring himself to say no. There was something different about these two, something he hadn't seen in his costumers before. It looked as if they were good friends, but at the same time it was as if they barely knew each other. The boy always had this sort of guarded hope when he looked at the girl, and the girl looked as if she knew she shouldn't be here, but wanted to anyways. It was sort of . . . special.

Why _shouldn't_ he help them?

Taking his hat off his head, he tossed it to the girl. She gave a sort of surprised, but pleased, smile. "Thank you!" She said, scampering off back towards the snowman, the boy shaking his head, but still smiling as he followed her.

The coachman smiled himself as he turned back towards his horses. He wished those two luck with whatever they were going through . . .

* * *

><p>Best. Vacation. Ever.<p>

It was the only sentence that ran through Miyuki's head as she walked with Red into their hotel, the moonlight shining down on the snow, making it glisten. No matter how hard she had tried to fight back these sudden feelings, they refused to go away. She couldn't help it. Even though she knew it was foolish to fall so fast for this_ stranger_, she cherished these feelings. They made her heart flutter, and her stomach do weird flip flops.

In fact, it was hard to think of Red as a stranger anymore. They had talked so much during the day, she already knew much about him. And he knew much about her.

They came to the doorway that lead to the elevator leading up to Miyuki's floor. Red smiled at her. She smiled back.

"I had a good time today." Red said.

"Me too."

"D'you . . . d'you think we could do it again? Maybe tomorrow? If you're not busy . . ."

Miyuki's smile grew. "I'd like that."

"Cool." Red grinned. "So I guess you'll just –" He stopped short of his sentence as his eyes glanced upwards, widening. "Oh no . . ."

"What?" Miyuki asked, arching an eyebrow. She inclined her head upwards too, and immediately wished she hadn't.

There, hanging by a thin thread, looking mockingly festive, hung a strand of mistletoe.

Miyuki and Red's eyes both looked down and met at the same time, only for both of them to look away embarrassingly, a shade of pink forming on their cheeks. They both knew very well what the tradition of mistletoe was. Red cleared his throat airily.

"Um, yeah, that's another thing this town does. Around Christmas time they usually hang a few of these up . . ."

"So it would seem." Miyuki said, looking towards the carpet. Several seconds of silent followed before Red spoke again.

"You . . . you don't _have_ to kiss me if you don't want to." He mumbled.

Miyuki almost laughed, looking up at him again. "It's not that I don't _want _to . . . I just . . ."

". . . Met me." Red finished, inching closer. "I know. And you want to be sure of yourself and feel secure about it, don't you? Kind of like warmth?"

Miyuki stared speechlessly. So he _did_ listen to her. She bit her lip.

"Yeah, basically. But . . . come to think about it . . . maybe I'm _already_ secure . . ."

A smile curved its way into Red's lips. "I was hoping you might say that."

Miyuki's pulse quickened as she leaned in closer. She'd never noticed how soft his lips looked . . . so smooth and kissable . . . She wondered how they would feel caressed in hers . . .

* * *

><p>Miyuki rushed into her room, ignoring Tenn's questions that she shouted at her. She slammed her door and locked it, leaning against it and sinking down to the floor in a sort of dreamy trance as a smile formed onto the lips that had previously been met by another's.<p>

You could call her crazy. She believed she was herself. But she couldn't help it. She couldn't fight these feelings, even though she knew things were going too fast. She just didn't care.

Out from the corner of her eye, she noticed something sticking out from her bag. She reached in to pull it out, and nearly dropped it in shock. She held in her hand the very book she had smacked Red's face with. And there, resting on the cover was a sticky note.

_I think you dropped this. ;) _

She refrained herself from squealing aloud as she hugged the book to her chest. He must have slipped it into her bag when they were having their 'moment'. She hoped he didn't think she was desperate carrying around this book, though . . .

She was suddenly looking forward to tomorrow as she reclined on her bed, too tired to pull on her pajamas. She still thought the whole thing was crazy. But an old saying that Tenn frequently said ran through her head, calming her worried thoughts down as she closed her eyes sleepily.

_Meeting you was by fate. Being your friend was my choice. But falling in love with you was beyond my control._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I love fluffy, wintery nonsense. This is my first shot at writing Red/Miyuki, so they may have been out of character.

I made this one shot for a few reasons. One, it came to me and I had to get it out of the way because I'm working on a different story that should be up soon. Two, this site needs more RAMYR.

I _know_ I'm not the only one who can see it working out, because I've seen **Secretsx17 **and **Elena Hurley** write about this pairing (Their stories are AMAZING.), and frankly, I'm with them. But most stories that they write are angsty, and there's nothing wrong with that, but I couldn't help but add some fluff for this pairing. I know. I'm a n00b.

I do not own Invader Zim.

See that blue button down there? Click it. Magical things behold when you do.


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